Although he gets the label of unsung hero for his efforts in Australia in 2020-21, Cheteshwar Pujara’s incredible display of solidity on that tour is something that any Indian fan you ask appreciates.

Pujara’s story in the 2020-21 series is not complete without appreciating the quality he had shown in the series prior. In the 2018-19 Border-Gavaskar Trophy, Pujara was comfortably the leading run-scorer as he struck three centuries enroute to 521 runs at an average of 74.42, facing 1258 deliveries — the equivalent of over nearly two entire days spent at the crease, breaking the back of an Australian team which was already in disarray following sandpaper-gate.

It was a different story two years later. Pujara had lost the run-scoring touch he had, but he still had the warrior mentality and the ability to stay at the crease for long spells of time. With a young Indian team, Virat Kohli on leave, Pujara had to step up like never before.

On this occasion, although Marnus Labuschagne, Steve Smith, and Rishabh Pant outscored him, with Ajinkya Rahane right on his heels, Pujara still faced 928 deliveries across the four matches, and made himself and the Australian bowlers toil for every single one. His scores may not indicate it, but it’s the truth: Pujara’s grit was match-winning for India.

It was ugly at times: Pujara struck at below 30, less than two runs per over he faced, in a series that was fairly brisk in terms of run-scoring. But the lasting memory of Pujara from this series is the amount of blows he wore on his body, from an Australian bowling attack that tried to shake him, but failed time and again.

Pujara puts his body on the line to save India's skin

Pujara’s staunchest innings came on the final day of that decisive Test at the Gabba in Brisbane. While Shubman Gill and Rishabh Pant attacked with flourish, Pujara held up one end, scoring 56 runs but playing a titanic 211 deliveries to do so. Out of those 211, 11 struck Pujara on the body — something he allowed to happen, because that was the way he could make sure India would win.

“There was an option to defend with the bat, but I felt that was not a safe option. Because if the ball hits your gloves it could go to short leg, slips, gully, or I could get caught behind,” said Pujara, reflecting on the innings for the Cricket Fable Youtube channel a few months later.

“So, I wanted to rule that option out and that is why I was taking the blows to the body. Getting hit on the helmet was not ideal, but I was not worried about it and the there reason for it I knew as long as I am there and not getting out, that's fine,” said the batter, whose performance will go down in history.

Indian fans know they don’t have the joy of that miraculous win at the Gabba without Pujara’s physical sacrifice, nor the Sydney rescue act in which Pujara faced 205 deliveries to remove an Australian win from the table. Rishabh Pant’s knocks take the headlines — but whenever that Border-Gavaskar Trophy is spoken about, so is Cheteshwar Pujara’s grit.

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